Giants 'Stick up for their park

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, April 7, 1998

It's a lame-duck stadium. A stadium with two baseball seasons to live. A stadium that players and fans either love or love to hate. A stadium that, if the 49ers have their way, will become a parking lot in a couple of years.

But for now, like it or not, that antiquated mass of concrete is still the Giants' home, a place to hang their caps and gloves. The Giants were at the 'Stick on Tuesday to begin their first homestand of 1998, a stretch of nine games featuring bouts with Jeff Bagwell (Astros), Mark McGwire (Cardinals) and Tony Gwynn (Padres).

For many of the 25 players on the roster, Candlestick will be the only home they'll know as Giants. But for those who'll remain through 2000, it's simply a temporary setting as they await the opening of Pacific Bell Park.

"I love the 'Stick," said staff ace Shawn Estes, whose contract runs through 2000, meaning he's a likely candidate to pitch the first game at Pac Bell. "I don't think the 'Stick is a great place for fans to watch a game, but it's great for a pitcher. Your curveball breaks a lot better in those elements."

And Pac Bell?

"It won't be the same," Estes said. "The wall's only 311 (actually, 307) to right field, so it'll have its pros and cons."

Another young left-hander, Kirk Rueter, is also signed through 2000. Like Estes, Rueter knows Candlestick's grueling elements can favor the pitcher.

"I like pitching in the cold. I don't like the heat. I don't like sweating," said Rueter, who's scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Astros. "I'm hoping the new park will be just as cold and just as windy."

Reliever Robb Nen is a newcomer to Candlestick, at least as a Giant. He struggled there during his five years with the Marlins, posting a 6.10 ERA in 10 appearances.

Nen must adjust to the cold temperatures after reaching a comfort zone in hot and humid Miami. He said he felt at ease while throwing briefly at the 'Stick before the season-opening road trip.

"It's a different ballgame when you're on the other side of the field," Nen said. "I hope to make the elements work to my advantage. It's like any other place: You just need time to get used to it."

Orel Hershiser, another new Giant, has had much more success in San Francisco than Nen. Entering his starting assignment in Tuesday's home opener, Hershiser was 9-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 20 games at Candlestick.

"I've always enjoyed it because of the elements and thick grass," said Hershiser, whose trademark pitch is a sinker. "We have a great defense, and ground balls will be my best friend. When I was an opposing player, I always used the elements to my advantage. If your reaction to the elements is negative, you're helping your opponent. If it's positive and you can use it to your advantage, you have a better chance to win."

Hershiser, a Dodger for 12 seasons, said most opposing players dislike Candlestick.

"They can talk a good game, but they hate it," Hershiser said. "They're just trying to survive it. Not get hurt. Maybe get a scratch hit here or there. If they have a big game, that's icing on the cake. They're strictly there to survive.

"Think about it. The key players, the stars, tend to take days off at Candlestick. If you're on a West Coast swing, playing in Los Angeles, San Diego and Candlestick, and you're a star player who can choose which day you'll have off, where do you think you're going to take off?"

Unlike Hershiser and Nen, rookie pitcher Russ Ortiz is unfamiliar with the Giants' 38-year-old home park. His only experience at Candlestick came in an exhibition last spring.

"This will be different," said Ortiz, the club's best pitching prospect. "Last time I pitched there, it was a token appearance. I knew I was going to the minor leagues. This time, it'll be my home, at least for now. It'll be special for me." &lt;